


The Butterfly Effect

by Crazy_Pairing_Person



Series: The Butterfly Chronicles [1]
Category: The Lion Guard (TV), The Lion King (1994)
Genre: Angst, Disapproving Family, Drama, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, It said 'light angst' before but it was a lie, M/M, Romance, Theres gonna be lots of angst, okay I lied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-11
Updated: 2016-02-27
Packaged: 2018-05-19 18:37:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 8,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5977018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazy_Pairing_Person/pseuds/Crazy_Pairing_Person
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Kion recounts how he and Janja began their forbidden romance, starting at the beginning, with one lone butterfly...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I hereby dub this ship, Spotted Lion! I hope you enjoy the story.

_Somewhere in the middle of the story..._

Kion leaped over the rocks, his reflexes allowing him to smoothly reach his destination with little effort. As he arrived at Broken Rock, he saw the one he was meeting, already there, waiting for him anxiously under the shadow of one of the rocks above.

"Hello, Kion," he said, his voice quiet, very unlike the voice he normally spoke with. Kion smiled and returned the greeting, albeit constantly looking back to make sure no one had followed.

"They're getting suspicious, right?"

"Yeah. I wanna tell them, but..."

"But they'd exile you. As nice as it'd be to see you more often, I know you wouldn't want that," his little secret said, stepping out of the shadow he sat in. It allowed Kion to see him much clearer, let him see the other's dark spotted fur and yellow-tinted eyes.

Kion didn't reply, other than giving him a smile. He looked behind himself once more before feeling confident that he hadn't been followed, and stepped closer to the hyena in front of him.

After a moment, the two of them burst into soft laughter at the situation they were in.

"How did it come to this? When did this happen?" Janja asked, his voice slightly hysterical, and yet Kion knew he wouldn't have wanted to change it.

Kion could pinpoint the very moment everything changed, the small ember that caused this raging inferno they were currently trapped in.

"If you ask me, I think it started with the butterfly."


	2. Chapter 2

_At the beginning..._

Kion walked along the border between the Pridelands and the Outlands, above the big canyon where Bunga had once gone in. He didn't really know where he was going, but with morning patrol over and the animals not having any problems to report, he had ventured off for a walk.

A butterfly fluttered in his path, making him pause. He watched as it flew slowly, carefully, up to land on his nose. He let out a laugh, and it just sat there. Kion gently blew on it, getting it move, and as it fluttered off, he distinctly heard growling coming from the chasm.

He turned, and there he saw Janja attempting to climb up, struggling to stand as his eyes laid on the butterfly Kion had just sent off. He gained his footing as the butterfly fluttered off, and Janja stared at it, his expression one of annoyance.

"Janja? What are you doing here?" he asked. His eyes narrowed, ready for a fight, but Janja only looked at him for a moment in confusion before he seemed to realize where he was.

"Of all the... Chasin' a butterfly all the way into the Pridelands..." he muttered, completely ignoring Kion. It took him a moment, but Kion quickly put together why Janja was there.

"You were going to eat a butterfly?" he asked, completely bewildered.

"Would you rather I go and eat one of your zebras?" Janja replied, looking at Kion threateningly.

"No! I mean, don't you have anything better to eat in the Outlands?"

Janja only stared at Kion as if he'd grown three more heads... And an elephant trunk.

"You are joking, right? If we relied on what we have in the Outlands, we'd be resorting to cannibalism," he said, seeming rather annoyed.

"You've gotta have something," Kion reasoned, unable to believe that there was nothing down there for them to eat.

"We don't. Why do you think we keep coming and trying to eat the animals here?"

Kion didn't reply for a minute. He didn't know how to reply, actually. He'd never really thought about it, he'd always just thought Janja and the other hyenas were greedy, that they didn't care about the Circle of Life.

"Stay still," Janja suddenly said, and Kion's question of 'why' died on his tongue when Janja jumped on him, knocking him backwards.

"Janja! What was that for?!" Kion cried as Janja got off of him. Janja growled.

"It got away, again."

"Wha- The butterfly?"

"Yeah. I dunno why it keeps landin' on you, though," the hyena replied. After looking around to check and make sure that it was nowhere in sight, Janja turned to head back into the Outlands.

"You're leaving?" Kion asked, confused. He'd thought Janja would at least want to look for his butterfly.

"I'm not stupid enough to go and try walking around the Pridelands, especially for something like a butterfly," Janja snapped. Kion opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out as he watched Janja leap back into his own territory.

Kion closed his mouth, and shook his head. No need to go feeling sorry for them, he thought. His job was to protect the Pridelands and the Circle of Life, and the hyenas, especially Janja, were dangerous to both of those.

He started back towards the lair, still unable to shake the thought of what Janja had told him despite his attempts to forget it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!!

"Kion? Is something wrong?"

Kion jumped a little, being shocked from his train of thought at he looked up at Ono, who was staring at him in curiosity.

"No, nothing. Why do you ask?"

"You just looked like you were thinking about something," Ono replied. The egret tilted his head, watching carefully as Kion just looked down at the grass beneath his paws.

"I saw Janja, earlier. He was chasing a butterfly."

Ono stared blankly at Kion as his mind attempted to connect the thought of Janja chasing a butterfly to Kion's seemingly sullen mood. But before he could give up and ask what he meant by that, Kion just scoffed to himself and shook his head.

"I don't know why I'm thinking about it. I shouldn't be concerned about it," Kion said, seemingly trying to convince himself of something. It didn't seem to be working, but Ono didn't say anything and simply flew off.

Sure, Kion kept saying he shouldn't care, but somehow, he felt concerned. He always cared about any and all living creatures, because they all played their parts in the Circle of Life. But somehow he had never cared about hyenas, Jasiri being the one exception. That meant that he hadn't considered that, since they lived in such a barren, desolate land, that maybe they wouldn't be able to eat very often. He and the Guard just chased them away without a thought anytime they set foot in the Pridelands.

"Because they don't care about anyone but themselves! So I shouldn't care about them!" he muttered to himself, perhaps being a little louder than intended and getting some zebras to glance his way temporarily.

Kion shook his head. He shouldn't care about Janja and his clan. He told himself that over and over in his head as he headed home.

_Later that evening..._

As he and his family ate, Kion only stared at his portion of the meal, his mind still trying to convince him that he didn't care about the hyenas, especially not Janja.

"Kion?" Simba spoke up, noticing that Kion hadn't eaten more than a few bites. Kion shook his head.

"Yeah, dad?"

"Are you alright? You don't seem to be eating."

Kion was silent for a few seconds.

"I'm fine. Just... Thinking," he said weakly.

"What're you thinking about?" Kiara asked, looking at Kion with an expression of curiosity.

"Nothing," Kion said, a little too quickly. Kiara shared a look with her father, but neither of them tried to pressure Kion.

Kion started nibbling a bit on his food, trying to ease the suspicion of his family. It seemed to work for the most part, at least, as they left him alone then. Kion looked down at the food, and quickly recalled what Janja had said.

_'If we relied on what we had in the Outlands, we'd be resorting to cannibalism.'_

He made a split-second decision, and looked up at his dad.

"Is it okay if I go finish my dinner down in the lair?"

Simba seemed rather confused.

"Are you meeting with the Guard for something?"

"Uh, yeah," Kion said, agreeing to the built in excuse.

"Alright then, go on," Simba said, and Kion picked up the rest of his food and ran off before he could change his mind.

Instead of heading to the lair, like he'd said, Kion headed towards the Outlands. A part of him felt guilty about lying to his father, but a bigger part of him felt guilty about not realizing how the hyenas really lived until it was shoved in his face.

As he arrived at an easy to traverse path into the Outlands, Kion checked behind him before heading in.

He didn't really know where Janja would be, so he just absently looked around, hoping to see him at some point. There weren't many hyenas at all, though, not that he could see.

He should have known that the smell of the meat he carried would bring them out soon though. Janja, Cheezi and Chungu jumped out in front of him, their menacing glares quickly becoming confused gazes when they saw that Kion carried meat.

Kion wordlessly placed the meat at their paws and took a step back. He watched as Janja cautiously sniffed it, gave him a suspicious glance, then picked it up and ran off without a word. His lackeys followed easily, though they desperately whined for Janja to give them some of the meat too.

With his deed done, Kion turned and headed back into the Pridelands, satisfied for the moment. Perhaps he would bring some meat for Janja every now and again. It would probably keep him out of the Pridelands, at any rate. Whether he felt bad for the hyenas or not, keeping them away from the Pridelands would be a fine reason to feed them, he decided.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want everyone reading this to know that I'm typing this on my phone. Feel loved.

Kion trekked through the Outlands, the same path he'd taken the last several times he brought the meat.

He had been bringing Janja and his clan food every other night. Some nights he brought it early, when he would convince his father that he was having a meeting with the Guard and needed to finish his meal in the lair. Other nights he brought it rather late, when he would hide part of his meal and bring it to Janja while his family slept.

Kion came out of his thoughts when Janja lept down in front of him. Kion noticed that his lackeys weren't with him. He thought nothing of it and dropped the meat at Janja's paws as he did every time.

"Why do you do this?" Janja asked, throwing Kion for a loop.

He considered Janja's question. He refused to admit that he cared about the hyenas, but saying that it was to keep them out of the Pridelands would probably get him to start taking advantage of that.

"Why do you think I do it?" he asked, not meeting Janja's eyes. The hyena didn't reply for a minute.

"Thanks for the food," he said, catching Kion off-guard. Before Kion could reply, Janja picked up the meat and ran off. Kion stood there for a few seconds before turning and heading back to the Pridelands.

The thought was still in Kion's mind as he arrived home and attempted to fall asleep.

_Janja had never thanked him before._

 

* * *

The routine continued, with Kion bringing Janja food every other night, however now, Janja would occassionally thank him. It was strange, but Kion soon got used to it.

Then, one night, Janja decided to ask another question after Kion had dropped the food at his paws.

"Where have you been getting this food?"

"Uh, it's part of my dinner," Kion replied. He watched as Janja stared at him in confusion.

"Have you been eating much?"

"Well, yeah. I only bring you food every other night."

Kion was getting confused and somewhat worried. Janja hesitated before speaking again, "Thanks."

He then picked up the food and ran off, leaving Kion to blink in confusion. He simply shrugged it off, though. There was _no way_ Janja was getting _worried_ for him.

_'No way,'_ he told himself. But there was a small part of him, a part he refused to acknowledge that secretly hoped Janja was starting to care about him.


	5. Chapter 5

It had been several days since Janja had showed concern for Kion, if it could be called that. Kion still didn't think that that was what it was, though he didn't know what else it could possibly be. He tried not to think about it as he brought the meat to Janja, yet again.

This time, instead of Janja leaping out in front of him, he was actually already waiting for Kion. Trying not to think to much about it, Kion dropped the meat in front of Janja like he normally did. However, Janja didn't move.

"Do you want to come to Broken Rock? We can eat together," the hyena offered, his voice quiet. Kion was taken aback, both by the offer and the way Janja spoke.

"Uh, sure. I guess."

He saw no reason to not go along with Janja. It would be in neutral territory, and he knew nothing was wrong with the food, since he'd brought it himself. Even if it turned out to be a trap, he could always just use the Roar to get out.

Janja seemed surprised that Kion had agreed so easily, but apparently decided not to question it and stood up, and led the way to Broken Rock. Kion picked up the meat before following. Janja tried to make conversation on the way there, which confused Kion even more. Of course he couldn't say much since he was carrying the meat, so things eventually lapsed into an awkward silence.

When they arrived, Kion dropped the food on the ground. They both awkwardly stood there, not meeting each others' eyes.

"Why'd you bring me here?" Kion asked.

"Why do you bring me and my clan food all the time?" Janja countered. Kion looked at him with a small smile.

"I asked you first," he said, not threateningly, more like teasing than anything.

"Touche," Janja said with a smirk, but still didn't answer Kion's question. That didn't matter to Kion though, because now he was focused on how he and Janja were behaving at the moment.

Like they were... Friends.

With that in mind, he gently pushed the meat closer to Janja.

"I'm not all that hungry," he admitted. Janja tilted his head, but didn't ask questions and began to eat the food on his own. Kion watched as he scarfed it down, a smile on his face before he knew it.

"What're you smiling about?" Janja asked suddenly, and Kion jumped a little, having been lost in thought for a moment.

"Nothing," he said quickly. It wasn't that convincing, but Janja made no mention of it. He sat up, and watched Kion carefully for a moment.

"See any butterflies recently?" he asked. Kion blinked before getting the joke, and he laughed, Janja joining in almost immediately.

After that, talking came much easier between them, and Janja told Kion stories of the Outlands, while Kion told him stories about his family and friends. They laughed together wholeheartedly, forgetting for those few minutes that they were supposed to hate each other.

As the laughter soon died down, Janja got a bit of a wistful look in his eye.

"You have to go home soon," he said, and Kion looked up at the sky to realize that Janja was right. He could just see the sun starting to rise up, which meant that Kiara and his father would be rising soon as well.

"Can we talk like this next time?" Kion asked. Janja seemed surprised at the suggestion, but not at all opposed.

"Sure. I'll have to get the food to my clan first, but we can definitely talk again."

With the knowledge that he would get to talk with Janja again, Kion said goodbye for the moment, and headed back to Pride Rock. The thought of seeing Janja again in such a friendly setting had him smiling even as he got home...

* * *

 

Ono swore he heard something running past, but as he opened his eyes and looked around, he couldn't see anything. But when he turned around, he saw Kion running towards his home.

He frowned. Kion had been acting strange, but he didn't think he'd been going out late. Maybe this was a one time thing, he thought, and so dismissed it and tried to go back to sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

It had been going on for weeks. Kion now didn't bring the food as often, but he still visited Janja every other night. At this point, he tended to just meet him at Broken Rock. He met him late at night, after the sun had fully set and his family was already asleep.

Sadly, despite all attempts to be careful, he had the feeling that his family and friends were getting suspicious. Even though he only saw Janja every other night, he still ended up being tired during the day. Since the hyenas, obviously, hadn't been causing trouble, his fellow Guard members were usually kind enough to let him rest in the lair unless some other problems came up. No one ever asked why or how he was so tired, but they were all worried.

Not only that, but just the other evening, as he was coming home from his meeting with Janja, Kion happened to run into Ono.

"Kion? What are you doing? Shouldn't you be asleep?"

"Um, shouldn't  _you_ be asleep?"

"I was just about to sleep, actually. You're nowhere near your home," Ono had pointed out, not without the suspicious glare.

He had quickly made up some random excuse of hearing an animal crying out for help, and that he had to take care of it. Ono still seemed suspicious, be he had let it go for the moment, and Kion had made it home without alerting his family.

Still, he reminded himself to be more careful in the future.

* * *

 

Kion leaped over the rocks, his reflexes allowing him to smoothly reach his destination with little effort. As he arrived at Broken Rock, he saw the one he was meeting, already there, waiting for him anxiously under the shadow of one of the rocks above.

"Hello, Kion," he said, his voice quiet, very unlike the voice he normally spoke with. Kion smiled and returned the greeting, albeit constantly looking back to make sure no one had followed.

"They're getting suspicious, right?"

"Yeah. I wanna tell them, but..."

"But they'd exile you. As nice as it'd be to see you more often, I know you wouldn't want that," his little secret said, stepping out of the shadow he sat in. It allowed Kion to see him much clearer, let him see the other's dark spotted fur and yellow-tinted eyes.

Kion didn't reply, other than giving him a smile. He looked behind himself once more before feeling confident that he hadn't been followed, and stepped closer to the hyena in front of him.

After a moment, the two of them burst into soft laughter at the situation they were in.

"How did it come to this? When did this happen?" Janja asked, his voice slightly hysterical, and yet Kion knew he wouldn't have wanted to change it.

He knew, because he himself wouldn't have wanted to change it for anything. He reminded Janja of the butterfly, and he let out a typical laugh.

"Oh, yeah. You got worried after that, didn't you?"

Kion felt himself get warm under his fur as he shyly averted his gaze. Still, he had stopped trying to tell himself that he didn't care about Janja or the hyenas after the first time they had talked together like this. Though, when that had happened, he had thought of it as friendly. But now...

"Hey, Janja?" he spoke quietly, his voice no more than a whisper. Janja's ears caught it, and he stepped closer, his head tilted in concern.

"What is it, Kion?"

"What is... _This?_ "

The question seemed the throw Janja off guard, and Kion watched as he fumbled for an answer.

"Well, I mean... It's, uh..."

Kion began to get restless, and Janja took a deep breath, looking Kion dead in the eye.

"I don't know about you, but... Secret meetings, sneaking out, a forbidden relationship... Sounds pretty romantic to me," he said, a small smirk on his face. Kion swore Janja could see his red face, despite his fur, and he also swore that everyone in the Pridelands  _and_ the Outlands could hear his pounding heart at that moment.

And yet, he allowed a smile to cross his face, relief flooding his body.

"Yeah, me too," he said, his voice shaking, though he didn't know why. Janja's eyes widened, but before Kion could figure out why, he spoke.

"Kion, don't cry. Why are you crying?"

Kion blinked, and raised a paw to his face, and pulled it away to find it dampened.

"I don't know why I'm crying," he admitted. Janja crossed the distance between them and wrapped an arm around Kion. His next words caused Kion to realize that his tears weren't said, but they were happy. He knew it because his words caused the tears to increase, rather than stop.

"It's okay, Kion. I won't let anything come between us."


	7. Chapter 7

Simba paced, unsure if this was the right thing to do. He knew he could just ask Kion, but he somehow doubted Kion would want to tell him. He thought back. He had been alert and awake a few times when Kion had sneaked out, and several times when he'd sneaked back home as well. It worried him, and he was only doing what any worried father would do in this situation.

"You called, your majesty?"

Simba turned as he spoke, to look the younger one in the eye.

"I need a favor."

* * *

 

Kion waited, laying with his eyes closed but being careful to not fall asleep as he waited for his family to drift off. When he was certain that they were asleep, he slowly stood up and carefully sneaked out, jumping down from rock to rock to land on the grass below. He paused to ensure that they hadn't woken up, before he broke into a sprint and ran in the direction of Broken Rock.

"Kion?"

He screeched to a halt when he heard someone call his name from above, and looked up to see Ono, flying right above him.

"What are you doing, Ono?" Kion asked, his voice shaking.

"I could ask you the same question," Ono replied. Kion hesitated, glancing in the direction of Broken Rock. Ono caught the glance, but didn't say anything.

"It's a secret, Ono. I can't tell you," Kion admitted, looking regretfully up at Ono. Ono lowered himself to land next to Kion, and tilted his head.

"What kind of secret?"

Kion only shook his head.

"Are you meeting someone?"

Kion didn't answer or respond in anyway. But Ono knew he was right, just looking at the expresson on Kion's face.

After a few minutes, Kion moved, but before he could start going towards his destination again, he spoke.

"Please don't tell anyone you saw me."

Ono looked taken aback, but he nodded all the same. That gave Kion some comfort, and he continued to Broken Rock, now being more careful with how loud he was.

As he watched Kion leave, Ono waited for the right moment, before taking flight and going after him.

* * *

 

"You seem panicked," Janja observed upon Kion's arrival. Kion smiled nervously at him.

"Oh, uh, Ono happened to see me on my way over here. He saw me several nights ago too, on my way home."

Janja looked somewhat shocked.

"Are you okay? Do you think we should put it off for a few nights?"

"No! I'm fine, it's fine. Ono won't tell anyone he saw me, and he doesn't even suspect anything," Kion said, brushing it off with a nervous smile. Janja sighed and shook his head, but went along with what Kion was saying for the moment.

"Moving on from that, how are Cheezi and Chungu?" Kion asked, trying to change the subject. Janja saw that he didn't want to think about it, so he went along with it.

"Chungu is still having trouble believing the relationship between us, mostly because he keeps forgetting it exists," he said, and Kion cracked a smile at that.

"And Cheezi wants me to tell you that, quote, 'If you break Janja's heart, I'mma break you', unquote. I think he just needs to, um, get used to it."

Kion let out a laugh, and Janja easily laughed with him.

"I should try to meet and talk with them, you know, on a friendly level," Kion mentioned. Janja nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, but maybe at a point when your 'keenest of sight' isn't suspicious of you," he pointed out. Kion gave a nervous smile at that, but agreed. They continued making conversation, unaware of the presence that watched over them...

* * *

 

Ono watched in stunned silence, hardly believing what he was seeing. He knew if he got closer he could hear what they were saying, but he had enough context at that moment to understand what was going on.

He sat there, trying to decide what to do about this. On one hand, he'd agreed earlier not to tell anyone that he'd seen Kion sneaking off, and he was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to tell anyone that he'd seen  _where_ he was going either. But on the other hand, he  _had_ to tell the king! This was absolutely the sort of thing Simba would need to know about!

Ono took a deep breath after a few moments, and turned to fly back to the Pridelands. He knew what he would do. He had a promise to keep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna pretend Simba knows about Jasiri for the first part of this chapter. (Idk if he actually does or not though)

_"What do you need, your majesty?" Ono asked. Simba sighed heavily, worrying Ono._

_"I'm worried for Kion. He's been sneaking out at night, and not coming home until nearly dawn," he explained. Ono frowned, recalling a few days ago when he'd seen Kion just coming home in the evening._

_"What do you want me to do about it?" he asked, looking at the king in confusion. Simba gave him a smile._

_"You are the keenest of sight, right? I want you to keep an eye on Kion at night, and let me know what you find out."_

_Ono was thrown off by the request, but he knew he was worried about Kion too. After a moment, he gave a sigh._

_"Alright, your majesty. I promise to tell you what I find."_

* * *

 

Simba stared at Ono in shock, clearly not believing what he'd just been told. Honestly, Ono wasn't sure if he could believe it himself, and he'd  _seen_ it.

"Ono, are you certain it was Janja?" Simba asked. He might be able to handle it if it had been Jasiri - Not because of genders or anything, but at least Jasiri didn't regularly threaten the Pridelands. Sadly, Ono shook his head.

Simba shook his head, the reality of the situation setting in. His son was having a relationship with a hyena - With the  _leader_ of the hyenas.

"What do you need me to do, your majesty? Do you want me to talk to Kion?" Ono asked, not sure how he would go about such a conversation. He still felt he should offer, though. He was quite relieved when Simba shook his head no.

"I have a much better idea, don't worry. You can go home and sleep, now."

Feeling uncertain, but trusting the king, Ono took to the air and flew home. He spotted Kion coming home from the corner of his eye, and felt a bit guilty about betraying his friend's trust as he had.

But it was done. He told himself that continuously, as he tried to get some sleep for the remainder of the night.

He did not get much rest.

* * *

 

The next night, when Simba knew Kion wouldn't be visiting Janja, he himself set out for the Outlands, with no one knowing of it. He crept carefully through the night as Kion slept unknowingly at home.

When he reached the Outlands, and the first thing he did was search for Janja's den. It wasn't hard to find, and he soon found himself face-to-face with Janja and his clan. He looked Janja in the eye, ignoring the glare the hyena gave him for being in his territory.

"I know about what you and my son have been doing."

That got Janja's attention, and fear came across his face.

"Break off the relationship with my son," Simba said in a level voice.

"Or what?" Janja snapped back, despite knowing he shouldn't.

"I will exile Kion. If you want to keep your relationship going with him, fine, but he will not live in the Pridelands while you do so."

With that said, Simba turned and headed back out of the Outlands, leaving Janja stunned into complete silence behind him.

"Um, Janja? You okay?" Cheezi asked carefully, seeing the look on his leader's face. After a moment, Janja shook his head.

"I can't do that to Kion. I... I can't force him to live  _here,_ just because I wanna keep seeing him."

None of the other hyenas in his clan commented. All of them had seen how Janja had grown to care for Kion, and they could clearly see that what Simba had said was tearing him apart.

Without a word, Janja turned to find somewhere to rest in silence. The other hyenas watched him go, none of them trying to follow. They knew he wanted to be alone until he could next speak to Kion.


	9. Chapter 9

Janja paced back and forth. He was now waiting for Kion, waiting for the last time he'd get to see Kion on their secretive excursions. Maybe, somehow, someday, he would be able to find a way to convince Simba to allow their relationship. But for now, he knew he'd have to give up and step away.

He heard Kion approach, and he turned to see his smiling face. Kion glanced behind him, scanning the skies before turning to face Janja. After a moment, he noticed Janja's upset face, and his smile fell.

"Janja? What's wrong?"

Janja took a deep breath. Whether this would be permanent or temporary, Janja promised himself one thing.

He wouldn't let Kion know of his father's role in Janja's decision.

"Kion, we can't keep doing this."

Kion's head jolted back, as if those words had physically slapped him.

"What do you mean? I told you, I'm fine. I didn't even see Ono tonight, and I'm sure I can avoid him later."

Janja shook his head.

"We need to stop it, Kion. We need to stop thinking that we can have romantic feelings for each other," he said simply. He never hated himself more than when he saw those words absolutely crush Kion's heart, and he looked away, unable to look at him anymore. Kion stepped forward, desperately clinging to a thread, not believing what Janja was saying.

"Janja, I love you. Don't you love me?"

He wished Kion hadn't asked that. But still, he knew this was coming as soon as he made this decision. He had to tell the biggest lie he's ever told anyone in his entire lifetime.

"I don't love you, Kion. I don't see how you could think I would love you."

Kion's breath caught in his throat, and he looked as though he was going to throw up. He backed up, going into a defensive position as tears fell from his eyes. The look in his eyes as he gazed at Janja was one of utter betrayal. That look almost made Janja take back his words, and tell him the truth, tell him that he truly did care.

But he couldn't. Despite how upset Kion was, it would be good for him in the long run. He could go back to hating Janja and his clan, he could go back to protecting the Circle of Life and the Pridelands, and he could grow up and fall in love with a girl lion his father would approve of. Janja's 'temporary' plan was now absolutely tossed aside.

He watched helplessly as Kion turned and ran back home, not sparing a glance at him. Janja sighed sadly, looking to the ground as tears fell from his eyes.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

* * *

 

Kion ran, the tears blurring his vision as he moved, Janja's words replaying through his mind over and over.

Despite what he had said, Kion just couldn't believe that Janja had never really cared about him. Last time, he seemed so nice, he genuinely seemed to love and care for Kion. But tonight? He had refused to even look at him, Janja had flat-out said that he didn't love him.

"Kion?"

He stopped, his heart pounding. Now that he was paying attention to where he was, he noticed Ono next to him. He gave his friend a nervous smile, but Ono didn't seem to buy it for a second.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

"I don't really want to talk about it, Ono," Kion said, looking away. Actually, he didn't even want to think about what had just happened.

Still, Ono didn't leave his side, and Kion decided that since he needed someone to talk to about it, it may as well be him.

"I... I've been seeing Janja for a while now," he began sheepishly. He didn't notice Ono's lack of surprise when he stated that fact, and simply continued on with his story.

"I mean, it's not like it started out romantic. At first I was just bringing him and his clan meat, 'cause I felt bad for them."

That, Ono seemed understand. There were few in the Pridelands who didn't know of Kion's easily touched sympathy.

"Then, he asked me where I was getting the meat, and I told him it was from my dinner. And he actually seemed... Concerned, when I said that."

Kion shook his head to rid himself of the thought. He didn't notice Ono actually seeming surprised this time.

"Then, at some point, he asked me to go with him to Broken Rock and eat with him. But there ended up being more talking than eating," he explained, and he forcefully reminded himself that Janja no longer cared. He took a deep breath to steady himself before he continued.

"Then, later, after me visiting him at Broken Rock became like routine, I asked him what the whole thing was. You know... Us."

Here, Kion had to force himself to keep talking.

"He said the whole thing was pretty romantic, to him. And so... It kept on happening. You've caught me a couple times, I know. But tonight, something happened. He... He said he never loved me, and that he didn't understand how I could think he would love me."

That completely caught Ono off guard. He watched as Kion cried, guilt filling him as he put the pieces together on what Simba had done. And he wouldn't have done it if  _Ono_ hadn't told him about what he'd seen.

"Kion, I'm so sorry," he said, the words having more than one meaning. Kion sniffled, and shook his head.

"No. I was stupid, anyway. I should get home, though. I don't want my dad to find out."

Kion gave Ono a weak smile before going towards Pride Rock. Ono watched, wide-eyed, uncertain as to whether he should tell Kion or confront Simba.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm kinda taking some liberties here. Like, when Kion clearly wants to use the Roar here in this chapter, but he's holding back (And having a difficult time doing so) well, you'll see. It probably won't align with anything that will be revealed canonly but I needed it for the plot.

It didn't take the keenest of sight for everyone in the Pridelands to notice how Kion had become so broken. He was always staring into space, he almost never wanted to go anywhere. And most of all, they saw how, when he thought no one was looking, he would cry.

"I wonder what's wrong with Kion," Bunga said to the rest of the Guard one day. Ono visibly flinched, being the only one who knew the answer to that question. He still hadn't made a decision on what to do about his role in Kion's heartbreak.

"He's acting like someone just... Took away his soul. It's like he's a zombie or something," Fuli said. Kion sat out of earshot of them, just sitting on a large rock, staring off into the distance. Only Ono noticed how he was really staring into the Outlands.

"Should one of us ask him about it?" Beshte asked, his concern for his friend clear and obvious. Ono sighed. He had to tell them about it. Maybe then, they could help him with his moral dilemma.

"Guys, I know what's going on with Kion."

* * *

 

Fuli, Beshte and Bunga stared at Ono in shock.

"I'm not sure what's more of a surprise. The fact that Kion's in love with Janja or the fact that you would tell Simba about it," Fuli said, shaking her head in disbelief. Ono winced, but knew he deserved that. Beshte looked at Kion with renewed concern, and Bunga looked back and forth between Kion and Ono, as if he was trying to make sense of what he'd been told.

"You know you have to tell Kion, right?" Beshte said.

Ono nodded sadly. Since telling Simba hadn't exactly gone well the first time, he knew he shouldn't have been even considering the option now. He just didn't want Kion to be angry at him...

"May as well get it over with," he sighed, and flapped over to where Kion sat.

"Hey Ono. What's up?" Kion asked, clearly trying to seem like he hadn't been thinking of Janja. Ono gave him an awkward smile.

"I, uh, I have to tell you something. It's about Janja."

Kion gave Ono his full attention, and Ono could only sigh.

"I... I actually saw you, with him, one night. A-and after I saw you, I told your father about it. I think he might have threatened Janja, to break things off with you."

Kion blinked, trying to process exactly what Ono had said. Ono waited fearfully for Kion's response.

Kion slowly stood up, eyes closed, finally seeming to have processed what Ono had told him. Clouds approached, and Ono began to fear for his life as he heard a low growl coming from his friend. As he began to shake in fear, the growling seemed to stop, but the clouds continued to approach, showing that Kion was having a hard time holding back the Roar. Wordlessly, Kion jumped from the rock he was perched on, and started to run towards the Pridelands. With the clouds overhead in mind, none of his friends tried to stop him.

As he ran, he didn't realize when he passed by Kiara and Nala, who were practicing for Kiara's first hunt. They quickly noticed where Kion was heading, and they shared concerned looks before going to Pride Rock, ending practice early for the day.

* * *

 

Janja walked along the border between the Outlands and the Pridelands. He missed Kion, he missed seeing him, and he wondered for a moment if it would be okay for him to go and invade the Pridelands, if only to see Kion.

As he toyed with the idea, he glanced over beyond the border, and saw Kion approaching. Without paying any mind to the clouds overhead, he stepped over the border, and Kion came to a halt just in front of him.

Kion opened his eyes, breathing heavily, staring at Janja with a determined look.

"Janja. Did my father threaten you?" he asked, catching Janja off-guard. The clouds became thicker and more dangerous, like those in a thunderstorm.

"Kion! What are you doing?!"

Simba's voice caught them both off-guard. Without a thought, Kion ran along the border, and Janja quickly followed, feeling that he would need to be there to explain things to Simba.

As they ran, the clouds intensified even further, and Janja swore he heard a low growl coming from Kion's throat. Suddenly, a lightning bolt struck the ground, mere feet away from Janja. He gave a yelp and continued to run alongside Kion, now even faster. He heard the clouds rumble, and soon, Simba had caught up with them, and he leaped in front of Kion, cutting off his path. Kion and Janja stopped running, breathing heavily. They had stopped in front of a raging river, the very same one Kion had once fallen into. Janja felt that they could easily run around Simba, but he decided that it was best that they not test him.

"Janja, I warned you to stay away from my son."

"So you  _did_ threaten him!" Kion said, the clouds rumbling even louder now. Janja suddenly made the connection that the clouds were caused by Kion trying desperately to hold back his urge to use the Roar. Lightning struck the ground nearby yet again, and Janja jumped. It also caught Kion's attention for a split second, but then he went back to glaring at his father.

"Kion, I am only trying to protect you!"

"I don't need you to protect me! I know that Janja loves me, but because of whatever you said to him, I actually believed for the past few days that it had all been a lie!"

"Kion, you need to calm down," Janja said, and Kion only shook his head.

"I can't! I, I just..."

Kion's breathing became heavy, and Janja saw tears beginning to escape his eyes. He came closer to Kion, trying his best to ignore Simba's warning glare.

"Kion, it's okay. I'm here, okay? I'm here and I still love you," he said, his voice soft, not sure if he was heard over the rumbling thunder above. Kion's breathing began to even out, and Janja saw the clouds beginning to thin out, ever so slightly. He began to relax, thinking Kion was calming down, but then Simba stepped forward, and he was worried all over again.

"Kion, if you wish to continue this relationship, you will not do so in the Pridelands."

Those words echoed in Janja's mind, and he instantly knew what Kion was about to do before he even did it. He saw Kion step forward, the clouds thickening again, more so than before. He watched as Kion spoke, his voice strained with the effort not to use the Roar.

"Then I will live in the Outlands."

"Kion, no!" Janja shouted, and both Simba and Kion jumped from the force of Janja's yell.

"Janja...?"

"Why do you think I tried to break things off? I won't let you live in the Outlands, Kion. Not for me, not for anything or anyone," Janja said. Simba seemed taken aback. The clouds did not disperse or thin out, but they didn't thicken either. Kion stared at Janja with wide eyes.

"But, I love you. I want to be with you," Kion said pitifully.

"I know you do. I love you too, but I want you to be  _happy_ , and trust me, you won't be happy in the Outlands."

Kion shook his head rapidly.

"I would have  _you_ , and that's all I'd need!"

"You say that now, Kion, but-"

Janja's argument was cut off by yet another lightning strike. It struck Kion right in the paw, and he jumped with a pained yelp, and fell...

Right into the raging river.

"Kion!"

Janja and Simba cried out at the same time, but it was Janja who leaped into the water in an attempt to save Kion. He paddled frantically, trying to catch up with Kion. The lion flailed desperately, until his head smacked against a rock, and he fell under the water. Janja paddled harder, desperate in that moment to save Kion. Soon, he managed to grab hold of him, and pulled him above the water. It didn't help his worry when he saw that Kion had fallen unconscious, but he paddled to the land desperately, trying to drag Kion to land.

Just when he was beginning to think he wasn't strong enough, that he and Kion would drown, he felt something grab onto his tail, and pull him onto the dry land. When he looked, he saw that it was Beshte, and next to him stoo Bunga, Fuli and Ono. Janja said nothing, only turned his gaze to Kion. The clouds above him had begun to disperse, but he paid no mind, frantically pushing and shaking Kion, hoping for him to wake up.

"Janja, stop. Let's take him to Rafiki," Simba said, his voice quiet. He couldn't quite make out the tone, but all he cared about was Kion waking up and being okay. So he nodded helplessly, and helped the Guard lift Kion onto Beshte's back, and he followed them all to find Rafiki, hoping he would be able to help Kion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will be the last chapter, guys! i hope you've enjoyed the story so far!


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the final chapter! I hope you enjoy! ;)

Janja paced back and forth. Rafiki had taken Kion into the lair, and wouldn't let anyone inside while he treated him. While everyone else was certainly worried, Janja felt as though he was about to explode.

Simba sighed, watching Janja pace.

"Janja? May I speak to you?"

Janja stopped pacing, looking at Simba as though he'd forgotten he was there.

Simba glanced at the lair, thinking for a moment, before looking back to Janja.

"You care for my son, a lot. Don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Janja said, nearly shouting. He began to shake, nerves taking over his body. He just needed Kion to be okay at that moment, that was all he asked for. Simba sighed as he saw. He was worried for his son, too, but he hadn't been the one to jump in and save Kion from the river. Janja had done it, he had leaped into the water without a second thought in an attempt to save Kion.

That was proof enough that Janja truly cared about his son.

"Janja?"

The hyena looked up at Simba, fear and apprehension in his eyes.

"If... If Kion is okay, which I'm sure he will be... You, him and I can discuss an arrangement for you to live in the Pridelands."

Janja froze, his eyes being the only thing to move as his mind processed that.

"Y-yes! Yes, of course, th-thank you, Sim- You-Your majesty!" Janja fumbled over his words, trying to thank Simba. He felt more of a need than ever for Kion to wake up. Before, he just wanted to know that Kion would be okay before they would have to part. Now, he wanted him to be okay because they could be together.

Rafiki came out, then, and Janja jumped up, wide eyes asking the question he didn't dare speak.

"He is waking up now," Rafiki said in a calm voice. He seemed like he was going to say something else, but Janja ran in before he could hear it.

Rafiki motioned for Simba to come closer, and the Guard looked at each other in concern.

* * *

 

"Kion! Kion, are you okay?" Janja asked, speaking fast and frantically, unable to stop his nerves from affecting him still. He saw Kion open his eyes, as if he'd simply been sleeping. Kion gave him a confused look, but Janja ignored it, thinking he just needed to get his bearings.

"Kion! You're okay!"

He couldn't stop himself from nuzzling Kion's cheek, but felt somewhat confused when Kion pulled away as if he were burned. It was then that Janja noticed the hostile look in Kion's eyes, and he carefully spoke the lion's name, suddenly realizing what was going on, but not wanting to admit it.

"What are you doing here, Janja?" Kion asked angrily, as if none of the past several weeks had happened.

"Kion, what do you mean? Don't you remember, everything that happened?"

All he got was a glare.

"I have no idea what you're talking about! Have you lost your-"

"Kion."

Simba's voice came, and Janja turned to see him approaching with Rafiki at his side. Rafiki motioned for Janja to come outside with him. With a glance to Kion, who completely ignored him, save for a glare, Janja sighed and followed Rafiki.

When they were outside, at a safe distance from the lair, where Kion wouldn't hear them, Rafiki told him what was going on.

"Kion doesn't remember anything from the time when you and he were together. He has amnesia."

Janja suddenly felt how he imagined Kion had felt when he had said that they needed to break things off. Except this time, Janja knew it wasn't a lie.

"He remembers things from before then, not all of it, but a lot. He knows who he is, he knows of the Guard..."

"And he remembers that me and my clan are his greatest threats," Janja finished, and Rafiki nodded sadly.

"Will he ever remember?" Janja asked desperately, unable to stomach the thought of living forever with Kion not remembering anything that they had shared. Rafiki gave a small sigh.

"He may remember. Possibly in a few weeks, or months, or years-"

"Years?!"

Rafiki gave him a sad smile.

"That is the least of your worries. He may not remember at all."

* * *

 

Janja sighed, staring blankly at the rocky ground he sat on. It had been three weeks exactly ever since Kion had gotten amnesia.

Some nights, he forgot about it, and would go to Broken Rock, and stay there for a few minutes before he remembered. Most nights, it was like he was dead, just sitting in one spot, like he was tonight.

He often thought about how it had all gotten started, and then how it had practically been erased.

It began because of a butterfly, because he was starving and didn't want to deal with the Guard that day. He chased after a butterfly, and happened to encounter Kion. Then it just spiraled from there into a love affair.

Then, the ending began because Ono had caught Kion, and had told Simba about it. Simba had threatened Janja, and, out of concern for Kion, Janja had broken things off. But that wasn't even the ending. No, the ending had come when Kion found out that Simba had threatened Janja, and had come to find him in a desperate attempt to see if Janja still wanted to make things work.

And now, the Kion had amnesia. Janja was the only one who remembered the entirety of the story. Ono, Simba and anyone they had told knew, but they didn't know everything.

They didn't know that Janja would have gladly taken Kion's place. They didn't know that Kion's smile warmed his heart, and the fact that he might never see it directed at him again completely destroyed him. They didn't know how Janja had been suspicious of the meat Kion brought at first, but when he had realized that Kion cared about him and his clan, it made him begin to care about Kion in return.

They didn't know how the sight of butterflies once filled him with warm memories, and now only reminded him of what could have been.

"Please. Someone give me a sign that things will work out. This can't be the end," he said softly to himself.

There was no verbal response, and Janja only sighed. He hadn't expected an answer, anyway.

But if only he had looked up, he would have seen two butterflies, a red one and a blue one, land on the rock just ahead of him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you enjoyed the story! Keep an eye out for the sequel, The Butterfly Paradox!


End file.
